Currently Commanded by:
Royal Bahrain Naval Force
Established in March 2004, CTF 152 is one of five task forces operated by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). CTF 152 enhances regional maritime cooperation focusing on illicit non-state actors in the Arabian Gulf, especially between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
CTF 152 operates inside the Arabian Gulf where it coordinates Theatre Security Cooperation (TSC) activities with regional partners, conducts Maritime Security Operations (MSO), and remains prepared to respond to any crisis involving illicit non-state actors which may develop.
The Task Force also operates to protect the international waters around key maritime infrastructure, including oil platforms, from a terrorist threat. CTF 152 operations influence events ashore as criminal groups and other non-state actors seek to undermine maritime security or conduct other unlawful activity are denied the freedom to conduct activities to further their cause.
History
The Arabian Gulf is a 989 kilometre-long inland sea that separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula. Countries with a coastline on the Arabian Gulf include Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq.
Today the Arabian Gulf is one of the most strategically important waterways in the world due to its importance in world oil transportation. It contains in the region of 800 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, representing nearly half of the world’s oil, and over 2,800 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves (42.5% of the world total)[1]. Arabian Gulf countries maintain about one-third of the world’s productive oil capacity. The majority of the oil exported from the Arabian Gulf is transported by sea.
Composition
Command of CTF 152 is rotated between participating nations on a three to twelve month basis. Countries that have commanded CTF152 include Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE. A variety of other countries also assign vessels, aircraft and personnel to the task force, including Qatar, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.
CTF152 Command History
| Date | Country | No of Times |
| 28-Jun-05 | USA | 1 |
| 28-Jun-06 | Italy | 1 |
| 03-Dec-06 | USA | 2 |
| 24-Apr-07 | USA | 3 |
| 29-Sep-07 | USA | 4 |
| 04-Mar-08 | Bahrain | 1 |
| 05-Jun-08 | UK | 1 |
| 28-Sep-08 | USA | 5 |
| 23-Oct-08 | USA | 6 |
| 20-Jan-09 | Australia | 1 |
| 27-Apr-09 | USA | 7 |
| 25-Jun-09 | UK | 2 |
| 09-Nov-09 | UAE | 1 |
| 09-May-10 | Kuwait Navy | 1 |
| 06-Jan-11 | Bahrain | 2 |
| 11-May-11 | UAE | 2 |
| 22-Sep-11 | Kuwait Navy | 2 |
| 21-Jun-12 | USA | 8 |
| 06-Jun-13 | USA | 9 |
| 01-Jun-14 | US | 10 |
| 02-Sep-14 | KSA | 1 |
| 02-Sep-15 | Kuwait Navy | 3 |
| 02-Mar-16 | Kuwait Navy | 4 |
| 08-Sep-16 | Jordan | 1 |
| 14-Sep-17 | KSA | 2 |
| 06-Sep-18 | Kuwait Coast Guard | 1 |
| 28-Feb-19 | Kuwait Coast Guard | 2 |
| 29-Aug-19 | Jordan | 2 |
| 29-Feb-20 | Jordan | 3 |
| 31-Aug-20 | Saudi Border Guard | 1 |
| 2-Sep-21 | Kuwait Navy | 5 |
| 28-Feb-22 | Kuwait Navy | 6 |
| 25-Aug-22 | Bahrain | 3 |
[1] Reference: “BP Statistical Review of World Energy, 2017”
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) 